Social Media at the Commons: Facebook

Hi, there! I’m Jaime and I’ve been consulting/interning here at the Commons since 2014. My personal passion is helping students, staff, and faculty learn how to connect their personal and professional brands online by engaging with others on social media. This past Saturday, I worked with two long-time patrons dedicated to getting their social media game on point. Kemuel Benyehudah and Sandra Andino have been coming to the Commons since November 2015 to work on maximizing the effectiveness of their public Facebook accounts.

Since the “reactions” series came in to play as Facebook’s response to massive demand for a “dislike” button, many publications have been writing about Facebook again. Patrons often tell us here at the Commons that they aren’t sure of Facebook’s relevance or interest to anyone but their closest friends and family. What I’ve learned through engaging with faculty, staff, and students at now three institutions of higher learning (I helped launch the Smith College Libraries Facebook page, in graduate school at Penn I work with faculty and staff, and at my job at Princeton I sometimes am lucky enough to work with colleagues on the social media team) is that Facebook can still be a powerful tool for sharing information if used correctly. Here are some tips we discussed in Saturday’s session:

Be sure to curate your “public posts” like you would a personal website or a LinkedIn account. Anyone can see your public posts and if they show that you’re a serious, invested person with interests and opinions, that can help boost your social media clout.

Your profile picture and cover photo matter. Be sure to choose them wisely. They are the digital face you present to the world via Facebook. Choose high-quality images that have a personal or professional resonance. Be sure you are using images in the public domain or have the appropriate permissions! Update them often enough to stay current. Don’t be afraid to show off who you are!

Save photos from posts, events, and articles featuring you, your work, or your brand so that you can repost them on Facebook (with permission of course). Always make sure to note the link and credit line.

When friends share on your wall, and it’s something positive and relevant to you, be sure to respond publicly! This is the equivalent of a public panel or conversation and helps other people better understand you in this digital space. If your wall posts are public, this is even more important. If a friend posts something particularly relevant, you may choose to share it publicly and comment on it.

Repost pieces about you/by you on your blog, website, LinkedIn, public FB posts, etc, and don’t be afraid to post across platforms. The more places you can find quality information about who you are, what you do, what you love, and where you hope to go from here, the better! This is all part of building your personal brand.

Jaime Marie Estrada teaches social media workshops and does individual and group consultations on most social media platforms at the Weigle Information Commons every Saturday from 12pm – 6pm. Come visit her with all your personal/professional branding and digital storytelling questions.